Rekindling the UP spirit

On Dec. 2, 2011, the UP Alumni Association Cebu Chapter Foundation Inc. (UPAACCFI)  held its homecoming at the UP Cebu College Conference Hall (the first after the UP Centennial Celebration in 2008) with a very fitting and urgent call of the times as its theme:  “Rekindling the UP Spirit.”

The homecoming launched the Tatak UP Awards in recognition of alumni from any UP campus who have shown excellence in their field, with a social conscience and are based in Cebu and contributing to Cebu’s development. Some alumni have already been recognized by the UP alumni association whether Cebu chapter or UP systemwide, so they were not included in the Tatak UP search. Nominations poured in with accompanying curriculum vitae and double checks with the nominators. One of the requirements of the search was for the awardee to be physically present at the homecoming to  receive  the award, a statuette of the Oblation, the symbol of UP. A few awardees begged off because they already had  commitments that day.  They are still qualified for next year’s search since the search will already be a yearly event of the alumni chapter. The awardees were grouped into seven  clusters:  Science and Medicine; Social Change and  Advocacy; Media and Communication; Business and Entrepreneurship; Art, Design and Culture; Education; Law, Public Service and Governance.

The awardess in the field of Science and Medicine are  Dr. Benigno Aldana Jr., Dr. Porfirio M. Alino, Dr. Ivy V. Alvarez, Dr. Enrico B. Gruet, Marco Nemesio E. Montano, Dr. Geselita Noval-Maambong, Dr. Teofulo San Juan, Dr. Rhodora Diaz and Yolanda S. Oporto.   Iin the field of Social Change and Advocacy, the awardees are  Casiano Q. Catapang, Jessie M. Cubijano, Rev. Fr. Carmelo O. Diola and Purita R. Sanchez.

Awardees in  the field of Media and Communication are Isolde Amante, Nini Cabaero, Lelani Echaves-Paredes, Connie E. Fernandez, Maria Jane C. Paredes, Zen Pastoriza, Nimrod L. Quinones, Thea C. Rinen, Jeruel Roa, Veneranda Cinco-Sy, Ma. Theresa Q. Tabada, Ethel Taneo-Natera, Rosemarie Olano-Verzosa, Msgr. Achilles Dakay and Jude Bacalso. In the field of Business and Entrepreneurship, the awardees are  Ma. Cristina G. Angan, Rosita Rodriguez-Arcenas, Venus C. Genson, Manuel S. Go, Mary Anne Alcordo-Solomon, Geronimo D. Sta. Ana and Joyce Natalie U. Yang,

In the cluster of  Art, Design and Culture, the awardees  are  Joseph Michael P. Espina, Dennis E. Montera, Philip Rodriguez, J. Karl P. Roque Jr. and Celso Duazo Pepito. For  Education, they are May Christina G. Bugash,  Ester B. Velasquez and Madrileña de la Cerna.

For  Law, Public Service and Governance the awardees are lawyer Hilario P. Davide III, lawyer Baldomero C. Estenzo, Rep. Pablo John F. Garcia, RTC Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap, lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos and lawyer Mark Tolentino.

Most of the awardees are very familiar because of their achievements, but very few know that they are UP alumni. The homecoming with its focus on the Tatak UP 2011 awards was a great success despite the short time from its inception to its implementation. But with a very efficient search team headed by Dr. Araceli G. Almase (trustee emeritus of the UPAACCFI); lawyer Liza Corro, outgoing UPAACCFI president;  CDN publisher Eileen Mangubat, who had to go through all the curriculum vitae and compress them into short citations; Palmy Pe-Tudtud, who had the Oblation statuettes refurbished, coordinated the painting exhibits in the hall and other design-related matters of the homecoming; and the full support of the rest of the members of the board: Dr. Boy Abalos, the treasurer; Dr. Romero Villar; Portia Dacalos, the liaison of UP Cebu College and the alumni. We would like to thank Dr. Catherine Rodel, conductor and trainor of the UP SERENATA for their rendition of six Cebuano daygons and the Social Science Cluster Dance Fusion for providing the intermissions.

Congratulations to all the Tatak UP 2011 awardees!  May your tribe increase!  To the incoming board of trustees of the UPAACCFI—lawyer Ian Anthony Sapayan (representing UP Cebu HS), president; Dr. Alvin Roxas (representing UP Cebu BS  Bio), vice president; Geofe Cadiz (representing UPLB), secretary; lawyer Jay Pujanes (representing UP Cebu NKE), treasurer; lawyer Ian Manticajon (representing UP Cebu Mass Comm), PRO;  and the board members:  Claire Jabines; Barbs Godinez; Eileen Mangubat (representing the HS alumni); trustee emeriti, Dr. Araceli Almase – more power to you! (I also serve on the board representing Diliman alumni.)

The UP alumni’s Cebu chapter has also reorganized the composition of the board giving more slots to  UP Cebu campus alumni.  UP Cebu, with its autonomous status, can rely on the UPAACCFI for support in its programs and projects.

Despite these trying times, we keep on rekindling the UP Spirit!